The Free Hero
by High Mantis
Summary: Naruto is banished from Konoha after rescuing Sasuke from the clutches of Orochimaru. Of course, the civilian council and Danzo are to blame. He leaves the place he once called home with a new mature mindset and interesting goal... involving missing nins. Watch as a very good Madara-like Naruto takes to the field. An Anti-hero story. NaruIno - Far from Perfect.
1. Setting Up A Story

"Naruto, this is once in a lifetime request... Please... Please bring him back to me. Please bring him home." She said as she cried her heart out.

It was heart-wrenching to watch her... and hear her request for _HIM_ the way she did.

It was undeniable proof. That Naruto wouldn't have her. That he would never have her.

Because her heart was always _HIS_.

It was silly to think that heroics, charisma, and constant attention to her would sway her heart for him.

It seems that love is a battlefront not well-known to our blonde-haired hero.

And so, before setting off to save, but also potentially fight the man that he called rival, comrade, friend, and ultimately... brother, Naruto decided something.

He'd let her go.

The thought went against everything he believed.

His nindo.

His way of life.

Never going back on his word and giving up.

But to make his friends happy, Naruto would sacrifice everything. For friendship, Naruto would abandon his stubbornness and pride.

He'd let Sasuke have this victory.

After all, it was only fair. Since he was about to leave off with Kiba, Shikamaru, Neji, Chouji, and Akamaru to kick his ass and bring him back.

It hurt to let her go.

Scratch that.

It hurt like **fucking hell** to let her go.

To give up.

He couldn't face her or his fellow comrades for a brief moment as he looked down to his feet and pushed through the heartbreak.

But they had a job to do, and Naruto was not going to be the burden that caused Sasuke to fall into Orochimaru's hands.

No way in hell.

And with every moment wasted at the front gates of Konoha, Sasuke was getting another inch closer to Orochimaru.

"You got it, Sakura! I'll bring him back! I promise!" Naruto shouted out while delivering a thumbs-up and his signature toothy grin.

With that, they were off.

There was no more time to waste.


	2. The Valley Of The End

Blood... Sweat... And Tears...

It had taken every fiber of his being to beat Sasuke.

The battle between them had been nothing less than a clash of pure willpower.

Their levels of malevolent chakra were equal.

Their techniques were equal.

But the deciding factor had been simple.

Stamina - The ability to push through the pain and keep the evil chakra coursing through their chakra networks.

Their staminas were not equal.

And so, during their final clash, **Rasengan** vs. **Chidori**. As Sasuke punched Naruto in the gut, everything disappeared into white.

POOF!

"No way! A **Shadow Clone**! How?" Sasuke thought as he did everything in his power to stay conscious while the explosion threw him back.

As he laid with his back against the rubble, he knew that he couldn't move anymore.

_'Looks like he actually beat me... Even after everything... Damn it all... I'll never catch up to Itachi now.' _

Sasuke's eyes slowly closed as the curse mark receded and a red blurry flash appeared before him.

"Enough Sasuke... please..." Naruto said beggingly as Sasuke was on the verge of losing consciousness.

Naruto didn't like Sasuke, but he certainly didn't hate him.

No, he never hated him.

Having Sasuke as a rival and goal back at the academy was fun. Knowing that Sasuke grew up alone like him was comforting. Fighting along Sasuke's side as a part of Team 7 during their various missions, The Chunnin Exams, and against Gaara during the Sand invasion. They were treasured memories that Naruto could never toss aside.

Naruto couldn't hate Sasuke.

And even after their battles on the roof of the hospital, and even here... In this gloomy valley where Sasuke rammed Naruto's chest with a Chidori straight through his right lung.

Naruto still couldn't hate him.

Especially after what happened next.

After the Kyuubi healed Naruto's wound, the fight raged on.

Through their battle, Sasuke began to open up and talk about how his family was killed and taken away from him by his real actual brother.

Naruto was surprised at Sasuke's decision to talk.

Especially after he was the one who said "The time for talk is over."

"What do you know about me?! You've been alone since the beginning! You don't know the pain of losing those bonds!" Naruto remembered Sasuke saying as they clashed fists.

"You're right." Naruto answered aloud to no one in particular as he hoisted the worn-out bloody Sasuke onto his back.

"But because you DO know the pain of that losing those bond, why would you want to inflict it onto other people? That makes you no better than your brother... doesn't it?" Naruto continued.

Naruto was just thinking aloud about Sasuke's situation and internal struggles. He had no idea that the boy he was carrying on his back could hear him.

As Sasuke heard Naruto's words, his mind went at about 1000 thoughts per second.

It made his head ache, but most of all... It made his heart sting.

_'HOW DARE YOU! I am nothing like him! I wi- ... Damn it, Naruto. Just shut up. Please shut up.'_ Sasuke thought as tears came to his eyes.

"Back there, you said that I was your closest friend... I feel the same way, Sasuke. Thank you for saying that to me... But to me, you're also the strongest person I know... I want to be like you. Strong, cool, loved by everyone, especially her... Which is why I was really angry that you were going to throw everything away for some dark power from that snake pedophile bastard. I was angry that the guy I wanted to be like didn't care that his comrades were putting their lives on the line to bring him home." Naruto continued as he leaped from branch to branch, stopping every few minutes to catch his breath and stop the pain of his aching wounds.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was shaken to the very core by Naruto's words.

He had no idea that Naruto had looked up to him as a role model behind their constant fights.

_'...Why? Why is it that you go so far for me? Why does your friendship with me mean so much to you, Naruto?! I put a** Chidori** straight through your chest... Idiot!'_ Sasuke thought as the tears came down and fell onto Naruto's bloody jacket.

Silently, Sasuke prayed that Naruto wouldn't notice.

Luckily, he didn't. He was too busy constantly stopping at branches trying to deal with the pain from their fight.

"Looks like even the Kyuubi has trouble fixing the damage you do, and you still think you're weak? Hehe, You're a real idiot, Sasuke." Naruto said aloud to himself again as he began leaping on the tree branches once more.

_'...Wait... Kyuubi? What's he talking about?'_ Sasuke thought in confusion.

It was as if Naruto had heard his question when he decided to answer it.

"Now that I think about it, I haven't told anyone about the Kyuubi being sealed inside me by the Yondaime Hokage on the day that I was born... Since you're my closest friend, I'll make sure you're the first one I tell. It's only fair since you told me about your family back there." Naruto said aloud.

_'Naruto... has the Kyuubi sealed inside of him...'_ Sasuke thought as Naruto's words registered into his head through all the fuzzy confusion and desire to sleep.

_'Of course. That explains everything. The red chakra... those whisker marks on his face... the reason I see the villagers glare at him every now and then with a dirty look. I knew it had to be more than the pranks. But who would have thought... that the Kyuubi is alive and living inside Naruto.'_ Sasuke thought to himself.

At this point, Sasuke had a billion questions to ask Naruto. And his so-called "Genius" mind was working at full throttle.

That's when one particular series of questions popped up into his head.

_'Why would the Yondaime pick Naruto? He was a newborn baby at the time. Why seal it into a baby? No, maybe he had to. If he didn't have to, then the Yondaime would've sealed it into himself... But why Naruto?'_ Sasuke thought as Naruto's face suddenly popped into his head.

Sasuke's face... **('O') **

_'OH MY GOD! HE'S HIS SON! NARUTO IS HIS SON! NARUTO IS THE SON OF THE YONDAIME! HOW **THE FUCKLES** DID NO ONE NOTICE THIS SOONER?!'_ Sasuke thought as the revelation was now clear as glass.

The blonde-hair, The blue-eyes. The fact that even though he was an orphan like a bunch of other kids who lost their parents in the Kyuubi attack, Naruto is the ONLY orphan who the Rookie nine can remember going out to eat ramen with the Sandaime and calling him "Ji Ji" like it was the most common thing in the world.

The puzzle was finally solved.

So many things Sasuke had questions about Naruto made sense now.

The inability to create clones, but the insane power to create over 1000 shadow clones. Naruto's constant energy while on missions. His ability to call upon massive amounts of chakra like he did with Gaara to pull off high-class jutsu like **The Summoning Jutsu**.

And most importantly... it explains why Naruto was alone as a child.

Constantly ostracized by society.

And Sasuke had been standing at the helm of that society.

And that society treated him like a king.

While he treated them like the scum beneath his feet.

_'Damn it. God damn it. He was my friend and I never noticed. He never said anything, but I should've been able to see it.'_ Sasuke said as a strong wave of guilt came over him with all the knowledge he had now known about Naruto. It only felt worse as he remembered the events that happened between them recently on the roof of the hospital and at the Valley of The End.

_'I have to make things right. He's completely right. I'm just like Itachi. Shutting everyone out. It's only a matter of time before I lose it just like HE did. Hell, I think I already lost it since I put a **Chidori** through Naruto's chest.'_ Sasuke thought bitterly.

As Sasuke continued to dwell on his thoughts while getting a piggy-back from Naruto through the forest, a voice called out.

"NARUTO!"

Naruto squinted his eyes to make out a little brown dog wearing blue while jumping through the branches.

"KAKASHI SE.. sei..." Naruto shouted but then only managed to mumble out that last part as he lost consciousness from over-exhausting himself.

He slowly lost his balance while in mid-jump and began a fast descent to the ground with Sasuke on his back.

Kakashi channeled chakra to his feet, ready to swoop in and catch his students.

When suddenly...

Sasuke manages to call upon his last bit of strength and push himself off of Naruto.

With that, he lands to the ground safely and catches Naruto before he hits the ground.

"Don't go to sleep in the middle of your mission, dobe." Sasuke says coolly as Kakashi and Pakkun land next to him.

"Sasuke..." Kakashi begins as he takes a battle-ready stance. Pakkun gets ready to summon his fellow ninja hounds as he waits for Kakashi's signal.

"I know. I'm coming back. I... I'm going to do this the right way." Sasuke said with a voice of determination as he looked Kakashi in his eyes.

Kakashi stared into Sasuke's eyes as he could only wonder what happened between between his two students during his absence.

"I see." He replied. With that, he took a moment to glance at both Naruto and Sasuke's conditions. Sasuke had two open holes in the back of his shirt. Right at his shoulder blades. He was covered with bruises and what appeared to be heavy burns. He was paler than usual, which means he lost a lot of blood. He was also very low on chakra and looked like he could collapse with Naruto at any second.

Speaking of Naruto, Kakashi's eyes shifted over to the boy in Sasuke's arms.

Naruto had a hole in his jacket that went straight through to his skin. On the back was a hole in the exact same spot. However, there was no visible skin damage. But Kakashi could already guess what happened.

"You got him... with **Chidori**..." Kakashi said with malice in his tone to Sasuke.

There was only one technique that caused that kind of damage. Kakashi knew it well. Hell, he made it.

"Y-yeah... I did it..." Sasuke said as another heavy wave of guilt crushed him and a regretful look of sadness came over his face.

He looked down to his feet in shame as his bangs completely covered his eyes. Kakashi noticed this and was surprised.

Sasuke had attempted to kill one of comrades, didn't succeed, and now seemed to regret even trying it.

Just what the hell happened between these two?

In all honesty, Kakashi had been expecting Naruto to fail in capturing Sasuke and that Sasuke would succumb to darkness.

With that in mind, Kakashi noticed something else about Sasuke.

_'His eyes. They aren't looking at the darkness. They want... the future.'_ Kakashi thought to himself as a small eye-smile came to his face from behind his mask.

"In any case, let's go back. There are medical ninja up ahead who can take a look at you two." Kakashi said as they head off back to Konoha.


	3. Exile

_'Ah, the softness.'_

_'Ah, the whiteness.'_

_'It's as if I were resting on a cloud.'_

_'...'_

_'Wait a second, where the hell am I?'_ Naruto thought as he struggled to open his heavy eyelids.

_'The last thing I remember is...'_ He thought to himself as everything slowly came into view.

A completely white hospital room with a weird chemical smell.

_'Great, just great. I hate this place... These beds are better than I remember, though. Must be Ba-chan fixing up the hospital.'_ Naruto thought.

"Looks like you're finally awake." a voice called out to him from the open doorway.

As Naruto turned his head, he came face to face with none other than Shikamaru. The lazy shadow-jutsu user who acted as squad leader for Naruto's most recent and grueling mission.

"How are you feeling?" Shikamaru asked as he made his way closer to the bed.

Naruto wanted to raise his head off his pillow and sit upright to talk to Shikamaru, but he struggled while trying to move.

"Rest, Naruto." Shikamaru said it as if it were a command.

Naruto finally gave into the laziness and just remained on his comfy white pillow. Then he answered.

"Who do you thinking talking to, Shikamaru? Something like this can't stop Uzumaki Naruto." He replied with a smile. "Just you wait, I'll be out of this place in no time. But forget about me, how are the others? What happened? I only remember up to finding Kakashi and Pakkun while on my way back to the village with Sasuke."

At this, Shikamaru smiled.

"The mission was successful. Sasuke was brought back to the village and everyone is alive. Neji and Chouji were pretty touch-and-go there, though. But everyone made it."

At this, Naruto let out a breathe he didn't know he had been holding. Everything was fine. Everything was okay.

"Naruto, how did you manage to do it? To bring him back? Did you fight Sasuke or did he come willingly?" Shikamaru asked seriously.

"Huh? Oh, I had to knock a bit of sense into him but it wasn't too bad. Everything's fine, right?" Naruto said with a carefree attitude as he failed to notice Shikamaru's seriousness.

_'He's hiding something...'_ Shikamaru thought.

"Troublesome. Well, just came by to say "Mission Accomplished" and get well soon. Anyway, get back on your feet soon ya knuckle-head ninja. You've been out of it for a straight week and a half. Everyone else is already healed. Once you're out of here, we'll all got out to Yakiniku Q together." Shikamaru replied with a small smile.

"OSU!" Naruto shouted happily as he closed his eyes to rest once more. Meanwhile, Shikamaru made his way out of Naruto's hospital room.

**XXX**

Intense.

What other word could you use to describe this atmosphere?

The Konohagakure No Sato Shinobi & Civilian Council had assembled to discuss a particularly serious matter regarding the Sasuke Retrieval Mission.

To put it simply, ANBU Black Ops had been dispatched to search all areas of battle for signs of Orochimaru or enemy ninja after everyone had returned. No results related to these searches were found, but something else had been present. At The Valley of The End, remnants of a powerful red and purple chakra were found. Konoha lab researchers were able to conclude it was remnants of the Kyuubi's Chakra and Orochimaru's Cursed Seal Chakra. It was obvious that both sources of power were used in a heated battle at the specified location.

Tsunade, being well-aware of Naruto's low standing in Konoha's civilian population due to his tenant, tried to keep this information under wraps to prevent any trouble from coming to him. As for the Uchiha, she hated him after she had heard about his actions from his interrogation under Ibiki and Inoichi. However, she would figure out what to do with him after she heard the story from Naruto himself, who at this time was unconscious.

Unfortunately, Danzo's personal forces, The Root, were dispatched with the orders of intercepting any information collected by Tsunade's ANBU. So anything Tsunade knew, Danzo knew.

When Danzo finally caught wind of this, he wanted to use it as leverage in a political debate to control the village's Jinchuriki and Konoha's sole source of the powerful Uchiha Bloodline: The Sharingan.

This leads us to now.

This debate is going to determine what should be done about Naruto and Sasuke as they are both considered to be "Unsuitable For Dispatch."

"This is preposterous, Danzo! You think you have any authority to determine what happens to my ninja?! Your duty is to advise!" Tsunade roared.

"Tsunade, you are the one who kept such information from the council. As Hokage, you are not allowed to do such a thing. Also, how can we trust your word if you are picky about what information you choose to bring forth to your advisers and civilian council. Frankly, you and your ninja council have too much authority. Is this not a democracy?" Danzo said calmly with his feigned a weak voice in order to get peoples' sympathy for being old.

"Don't fool this council with your pretty words, Danzo! You're lucky I don't rip you to pieces for intercepting a personal message to me, The Hokage, because of a shady organization that should've disbanded under the Sandaime's orders!"

"ENOUGH OF THIS!" Danzo shouted with rage.

He hated having to hear this woman constantly nag about his ways. He hated seeing her address this council with authority as Hokage. He'd have to remember to give the order to kill her afterwards. Couldn't she see that he wanted control of Konoha's most powerful assets to make the village strong?

_'Tsunade... a constant thorn in my side.'_ He thought.

Danzo worked to calm himself as everyone was surprised to see the old warhawk show such strong emotion.

'Looks like he isn't in the mood for any sneaky business today, he's here to take what he wants: The Kyuubi and The Sharingan.' Tsunade thought.

"Then let's begin." Koharu said aloud.

Everyone nodded in approval.

"We'll begin with Uchiha Sasuke. As many of you know, the Uchiha Clan was decimated by former Leaf Ninja and current S-class missing ninja: Uchiha Itachi. Sasuke possesses the Sharingan and has shown impressive skills as a Shinobi ever since his days at the academy. Overall, he is a fine Leaf ninja. However, during the Chunnin exams, he was given Orochimaru's curse mark. Since then, he has constantly been isolating himself from his fellow Shinobi which has ultimately led him to abandoning the leaf." Koharu stated.

"Fine, so he left the village in search of power. In the end, the Genin squad that I dispatched under the lead of recently-promoted Chunnin Nara Shikamaru brought him back. Not only that, but many of my Shinobi, from Genin to Jonin, witnessed him walking back into the village with a look of guilt and regret on his face. He understands his mistake and will work to prove himself as a shinobi who is loyal to the Leaf once more." Tsunade said with conviction.

She may have not liked Sasuke for what he did in his fight against Naruto, but he was only 13 years-old. A 13 year-old makes mistakes. And if a 13 year old Naruto could forgive Sasuke for ramming a Chidori through his chest, why couldn't she?

_'Thank god for the Kyuubi's healing factor, or else this trial would be deciding Sasuke's execution.'_ Tsunade thought.

"But what will we do about the Orochimaru's Cursed Seal?" Nara Shikaku asked aloud. "It was the main cause of Sasuke's attempt to defect. Not only that, but Itachi's recent appearance within Konoha also helped trigger the event."

Everyone nods.

"I have a solution for that." Tsunade says aloud. Everyone's eyes are on her. And Danzo is getting pissy...

"Uchiha Sasuke's cursed mark was originally sealed by Hatake Kakashi. He is an expert Jonin with many skills and fine jutsu. But he is not seal master like the deceased Yondaime Hokage. Therefore, if we want to keep Sasuke in check, we need to put heavier tabs on that seal." Tsunade says.

"Have you gone senile, Tsunade? The Yondaime is dead! His sealing skills are no help if the man is dead!" Danzo says with malice in his voice.

"Yes, I am well aware that the Yondaime is dead. But his teacher lives. I can easily contact Jaraiya who can come and properly seal, no... maybe even remove Sasuke's cursed mark. And while he's at it, I'll make him remove Mitarashi Anko's seal as well." Tsunade said.

"If that were the case, why didn't the Sandaime call for him when Sasuke was first given the cursed mark?" A civilian asked.

"The Sandaime was busy handling diplomatic affairs with the other nations because their Chunnin had died in the Forest of Death during the second part of the Chunnin Exam. Speaking of the Chunnin exams, Sarutobi-Sensei had to supervise those as well. Along with his constant paperwork, you can guess just how little time the Sandaime had to call Jaraiya over." Tsunade said.

Everyone nodded.

"As for Jaraiya himself, I believe he was maintaining a spy network for the Konoha. That leaves him with little time to spare and constantly traveling outside of the village. But I assure you, he will come if I request him." Tsunade said with confidence.

No one could object to that... Meanwhile, Danzo is fuming.

"Alright, I guess that takes care of the Uchiha. All in favor of Uchiha Sasuke's curse mark being removed by Jaraiya, then returning to active duty?" Koharu called out as everyone prepared their vote.

"Majority rules that such action is permitted. Next. The issue of Uzumaki Naruto." Koharu said aloud.

_'Alright, I've saved the Uchiha from Danzo's clutches. Now to just get Naruto. Then, I can finally get out of this place and get some sake.'_ Tsunade thought with a smile as she wiped a bead of sweat going down her forehead. _'Man, debates are rough. How the hell did you do this everyday, Sarutobi-sensei?'_

Everyone nods signalling Koharu to proceed.

"Uzumaki Naruto is a Genin who passed his academy exams through unconventional means. Frankly speaking, he possesses below average intelligence and doesn't fit the proper mold of a ninja. However, he possess exceptional chakra, stamina, and a variety of high-level ninjutsu in his arsenal. His mission record contains no failures. Now, onto the main issue, Uzumaki Naruto is the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune that attacked this village 13 years ago."

At this, all the civilians growled like dogs with contempt. Meanwhile, Tsunade and the Shinobi council kept their cool since they were already aware of that information and trusted the Yondaime's seal. Not only that, but Naruto got along well with their kids, played a key role in fighting the Sand Jinchuriki: Gaara, during the Sand invasion, and was a major part of the success in the Sasuke retrieval mission.

Overall, the Shinobi families and clan heads of the council respected the boy. They couldn't adopt him into their clans, but their hearts went out to him during his rough childhood. Still, no one wanted their kids to befriend Naruto or else they would also do badly at the Ninja academy. Or even worse... Pick up Naruto's horrible habit of pulling pranks.

Anyway...

"As a Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto is capable of calling upon the power of the demon inside him. Many of us have witnessed this during both the final round of the Chunnin exams and in his fight against Gaara of the Sand during the invasion. Most recently, this power was used at the Valley of The End and remnants of it are present in large amounts. These large amounts of red chakra have been collected, but are continuously dispersing into the air and returning to Uzumaki's body. Eventually, we'll lose all the samples we collected for analysis." Koharu concluded.

"So what do we do?! The Yondaime's seal is broken!" A civilian shouted as a wave and fear came over the civilian council.

"SILENCE!" Danzo roared again. "Give me the boy! I will train him into a suitable weapon for this village!"

"The Yondaime's seal is far from broken. It is simply loosened. Hatake Kakashi has confirmed it." Nara Shikaku stated.

This managed to settle down the civilian council.

"Danzo, for the last ti-" Tsunade began.

"We can't trust a leader who hides information due to favoritism, Hokage!" Danzo interrupts.

Tsunade went silent at this statement as she slightly looked down.

"Damn it." She cursed under her breath.

_'Give me the Kyuubi! You blonde-haired little bitch! Isn't it enough that I've lost the Sharingan?! I'll be damned before I lose one more thing to you!'_ Danzo thought with a psychopathic vengeance.

"Hokage-sama, this is just an idea, but is it possible for Jaraiya-sama to tighten Uzumaki's seal?" Yamanaka Inoichi called out.

This caught the attention of many people.

"Hm, I don't know. We'd have to see if its possible when he gets back to look at it. Removing Orochimaru's seal shouldn't be a big problem, but tampering with the Kyuubi's seal is whole different story." Tsunade said ominously.

"Then, we're screwed! We're going to die because of that demon!" A different civilian shouted out.

**"ENOUGH YOU DAMN IDIOTS! HOW MANY TIMES MUST I TELL YOU NOT TO CALL UZUMAKI NARUTO A DEMON?! I DARE ONE MORE PERSON TO SAY IT! JUST ONE MORE!"** Tsunade said while releasing a dangerous amount of killing intent.

_'I won't let you win this Tsunade. It's not preferred, but I'm not letting you walk out of here with complete victory.'_ Danzo thought.

"If you are all against or unresponsive to the idea of me training the boy, then exile him." Danzo said with a cold and ominious tone.

Immediately, the tide had turned.

"What?" Tsunade asked while completely shocked at Danzo's suggestion.

"You heard me." Danzo replied. "We all fear the Kyuubi going berserk, right?"

The civilian council nods.

"The boy is also not properly qualified to be a ninja due to his unconventional graduation from the academy, lack of basic intelligence on the field, and showy fighting style which is uncharacteristic of a ninja."

To this, the ninja council could not completely disagree. None knew whether Naruto was an actual liability or not while on the field. The last thing any of them wanted was Naruto screwing up which would cause their own son or daughter to die. Perhaps the Sasuke Retrevial Mission was just miraculous luck...

Tsunade was at a loss for words as well.

_'Danzo, please... Don't do what I think you're going to do.'_ She thought as she looked at him with pleading eyes.

_'I will not be defeated by a brat like you, Tsunade. I can't have the Kyuubi, but you won't have Naruto either. Once he's out of this village, I'll dispatch my Root forces to capture him while I focus on obtaining your position as Hokage and bringing the Uchiha to my side.'_ Danzo thought as a cunning smirk crawled onto his face.

"If we exile Uzumaki Naruto, we won't ever have to worry about the Kyuubi or losing any of our valuable Shinobi because of one idiot's screw-ups on the field. In regards to his expulsion, I am for it."

"No! You can't do this!" Tsunade shouted out.

"Once again, your favoritism is getting the better of you, Tsunade. This is no place for emotions." Danzo said.

With that, the civilian council burst into shouts of exuberant joy:

"Wow, we can actually get rid of that monster!" Someone called out.

"The demon will leave! Great!" Another replied.

"Lord Danzo is **the shit!**" A third civilian member said.

"It seems there is no choice, but to vote on this matter." Koharu stated. "All in favor of the exile of Uzumaki Naruto."

Danzo and the civilian council members immediately raised their hands. Tsunade kept her hand down defiantly and watched her fellow members of the Shinobi council as she silently prayed.

Unfortunately, her prayers were unanswered.

None of the shinobi council members raised their hands, which is good for Tsunade. She wouldn't have to heavily dock somebody's paycheck. But because the vote has resulted in a tie. This means that the issue must be extended out to the general populace of Konoha.

Yes, every ninja (Genin or higher) and civilians (18 or older) had to vote on keeping Uzumaki Naruto within the walls of Konoha. Majority rule would win.

This meant that everyone would have to know the surrounding circumstances of what they were voting for. Everyone would know about Naruto's status as a Jinchuriki (including those in his class), how his power could go berserk on occasion, his below average intelligence on the field, his unconventional academy graduation, etc.

It would humiliating for him.

And even if he got through the humiliation, most of Konoha is made up of civilians which Naruto has pulled numerous pranks on.

It's over.

Naruto's fate is seal.

_'Damn it, damn it, damn it. That old warhawk has forced my hand. I h-have... I have to exile Naruto personally or else he'll be publicly humiliated.'_ Tsunade thought as tears came to her eyes as she thought about what she would have to do to the boy she considered her grandson.

She would be taking away his dream of becoming Hokage.

She would have to seal away his chakra before sending him out of the village, so he couldn't even be a ninja...

"It seems that our vote must be extended down to the general populace of the village, what do you say to that... **HOKAGE-SAMA?**" Danzo said with a sadistic tone.

He enjoyed seeing Tsunade hold back her tears.

"N-No... I-I'll... I'll exile Uzumaki Naruto." The Hokage said sadly.

Just saying that left a horrible taste in her mouth. Not even sake could fix this.

**XXX**

As Naruto continued to sit on his hospital bed, he could only smile happily at what Shikamaru told him.

Everything is over now.

Sasuke is back. Everyone is safe.

Sure, he was a little banged up. Well, okay... maybe not a little. But anything for the sake of a happy ending.

Or so he thought.

The movement of the sliding door to his room brought Naruto out of his thoughts.

Tsunade entered the room, but she looked far from normal.

Her eyes were red and puffy. Her nose was runny. Her face had dried tears.

Naruto had never seen her like this before.

"Ba-chan?" He addessed her.

At the nickname Naruto had given her, she couldn't hold back the tears she had worked so hard on keeping in.

She immediately ran up to the bed and embraced the boy.

Naruto was shocked at the sudden display of affection, but returned her hug.

"D-Don't worry, Ba-chan. I'm okay, really. The Kyuubi healed me and you helped with the rest so I'm good as new." Naruto said with a comforting voice and smile as he patted Tsunade on the back.

But she kept crying, and now she was shaking.

_'God, she was really worried about me. I'm going to train really hard so that I never end up in the hospital like this again and make her worry.'_ Naruto thought to himself.

"Don't cry, Ba-chan. Please don't cry. It makes me sad to see you cry like this." Naruto said beggingly.

When Tsunade finally managed to stop the sobs and wails, she looked Naruto in the eyes.

Those cerulean-blue orbs that take in everything life has and yet still glimmer so brightly.

"N-Naruto." Tsunade addressed sadly as she sat on his bed.

"I-if you had to do something you didn't want to, and it was going to hurt someone you really cared about... What would you do?" Tsunade said.

Naruto hesitated as he thought about her question... but the answer was clear to him. He had already answered this question before in his life.

He had let go of Sakura to make her happy.

He didn't want to let her go, but if he didn't, then she would be hurt by his constant attempts at flirting with her... what's even worse is that she would probably hate him. On the other hand, by letting her go, he had put himself through some painful heartbreak.

But Naruto was a survivor.

He got through it.

Hell, if 13 years of shitty glances on the street and horrible services from society didn't break you, then you were pretty much set for life.

Life isn't easy.

Naruto figured that out pretty early on, but purposely ignored that fact.

But not anymore. Life is hard, and if you want it to be better, then you need to accept that fact before you can change it.

"I would do what I have to do." Naruto earnestly answered her.

Tsunade was shocked to hear that answer. She had expected him to tell her to "follow her heart" like what the usual Naruto would say.

But when she saw that determined look in her eyes, she saw something she never expected to see in Naruto.

**Maturity.**

'H-he's really growing up.' Tsunade thought to herself with a small smile.

"So do what you have to do, Ba-chan. Your pain won't end until you do it." Naruto said with a strong look in his eyes.

Tsunade was at a loss for words. It was as if Naruto was asking for his own expulsion from Konoha.

_'Does he already know?'_ She thought. _'No fucking way can he know. The decision was made while Naruto was unconscious.'_

"Naruto, this is the hardest thing I'll ever have to do. And I understand if you'll never forgive me for this... but..." Tsunade began.

...

"Uzumaki Naruto, as of your discharge from this hospital, you are hereby exiled from Konohagakure no Sato. You will be stripped of your headband, status as a shinobi, and your chakra-molding abilities." Tsunade said with a dead tone of finality.

Immediately after saying that, Tsunade preformed the signs for the chakra-molding seal and slammed it into Naruto's chest as he laid on his bed.

And then, the most awkward silence of her life began.

All Naruto could do was stare at her in complete shock and disbelief at her words.

He could feel the chakra within his body beginning to slow down.

He tried to process everything that happened from the moment Tsunade has stepped into the room.

But it all led to the same conclusion.

_'Tsunade-Ba-chan just took away my chakra, my status as a ninja, my dream of being Hokage, and threw me out of Konoha.'_ Naruto thought to himself slowly.

"B-B-B-But... why, Ba-chan? Why are you doing this?" Naruto said in a pained voice as a hurtful look donned his face.

"Forgive me, Naruto. I failed you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." Tsunade repeated aloud as she ran out the door in tears.

Naruto could only stare at the door that Tsunade had run out from.

Moments later, Two ANBU Black Ops walked in.

A guy in a deer mark, and a woman in a sparrow mask.

"Uzumaki Naruto, we are your escorts for your departure from Konoha. We are to remain at your side until such time that you are outside of Konoha's walls." The guy in the deer mask said.

"C-Can I at least ask why this is happening?! Can I ask least say good-bye to my friends?! My comrades who I've fought alongside with this entire time?! Please!" Naruto begged as tears rained down his face.

Where was his happy ending? What happened to everything being fine?!

Clearly, things were not fine.

**XXX**

Naruto had been discharged, escorted to his apartment to collect his belongings, and taken towards Konoha's front gates all within three hours of hearing about his exile.

It was about 7:00 pm and the sun was setting.

_'Whoever wants me gone really isn't wasting anytime. They don't even care that its nighttime.'_ Naruto thought.

He had gotten over the shock as he thought back to Tsunade's actions.

_'She was regretting every minute of this. She didn't want this. Something big is happening in the background, something I don't know about.'_

It was the voice of the Deer-masked ANBU that brought him out of his thoughts.

"Uzumaki Naruto, it's time for you to leave."

Naruto looked up to see himself standing right in front of the gates of Konoha.

_'So this is really it... I'm leaving Konoha...'_ Naruto thought to himself sadly.

But then he thought back to what he had thought about and said to Tsunade.

Life isn't easy. It's hard. If you want to do something about it, you need to accept it first. Then, from there...

"I do what I have to do." Naruto said aloud to himself as he looked onto the sun setting on the horizon with new-found determination in his eyes.

_'I can't be Hokage anymore...Fine. I'll be even better than a Hokage. I'll be a hero. Just like a Hokage, but without the paperwork. It's perfect... I don't have friends anymore... Fine. I'll make new ones. Ones that will be around me because they want to, not because they have to since we're all shinobi. Done...'_ He thought to himself.

"Well, what am I waiting for? Let's get started already." Naruto said as he ran forward out of the village gates without ever looking back.

And so begins the story of a new Uzumaki Naruto.


	4. 3 Years Later

Ever since the day that Uzumaki Naruto was banished from Konoha, nothing would be the same.

For starters, Tsunade would have to explain herself to all of the... now Konoha 11... as well as their respective Jonin instructors, about the decision made by the Council to banish Naruto.

This was not a happy moment for Tsunade.

She didn't want to do this anymore.

Especially after watching Naruto **literally** run away from the village he called home and loved so much... even with all the hatred due to the Kyuubi.

All she could do was try her best to drink the pain away with her sake. But the tears kept coming down.

Just like the rain outside.

Yes, folks. To make matters worse, the night that Naruto was exiled was the same night a heavy thunderstorm came over the village.

"I hope you're happy, Danzo... Because with this, I think you've pissed off God..." Tsunade said ominously as she looked out her window.

_'Please be safe, Naruto. Please. Find it in your heart to forgive me for this. I'm so sorry.'_ She thought to herself as she once again brought the sake cup to her lips.

SLAM!

Tsunade immediately moved the sake cup from her face to find Shizune standing at her desk with her hand slammed on the top.

"Tsunade-sama, this is incredibly inappropriate! As Hokage, you must find a way to fix this. You need to get your head in the game and find a way to bring Naruto-kun back." Shizune demanded.

Tsunade ignored her as she reached over to her sake bottle again.

But suddenly, Shizune smacked the bottle off of her desk and onto the ground where it shattered to bits.

"Dammit Shizune, that was good sake too." Tsunade mumbled.

"TSUNADE-SAMA!" Shizune called out.

**"WELL WHAT CAN I DO, DAMMIT! I NEVER WANTED HIM TO GO! DON'T YOU DARE PIN THIS ON ME! BUT WHAT COULD I DO?! IF I GO UP AGAINST THE COUNCIL THEN I'M GOING UP AGAINST KONOHA ITSELF IN A FORM OF DICTATORSHIP! IF THAT HAPPENS, THIS VILLAGE WILL BE TORN APART! SO YES, SHIZUNE! YES, I PICKED KONOHA OVER NARUTO! AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE BRAT WOULD ACTUALLY DO THE EXACT SAME THING IF HE WERE IN MY SHOES!"** Tsunade screamed loudly as she sobbed hysterically.

Shizune went silent at those words. Then, she turned out to the window.

"Do you think he is safe in this storm?" She said out loud to no one in particular.

"No, he's probably freezing outside in the forest. Hell, he could be dying out there and here I am just trying to stop thinking about it with alcohol!" Tsunade answered with venom in her voice.

The image of Naruto freezing in the rainy forest was enough to make Shizune tear up as well. Moment later, she was opening another bottle of sake and drinking with Tsunade.

"W-W-What da fuq do I say to tha peoperr tha ask 'bout Nar-do?" A drunk Tsunade said to her assistant.

**Hiccup** "I think we should get the clan heads and their parents to exprrrr it wid you." Shizune answered as she began slurring her words as well. "Weren't tha dey wi yoo?"

"Yeaaaaaaaa, Goo ide." Tsunade answered as she put her head down on the desk and went to sleep.

The storm continued to rage on for the whole night.

**XXX**

It was the next day after the incident.

And only one thing was going through Tsunade's mind as all the clan heads present at the council meeting were in her office.

"I will be quick as I understand your time is valuable. As many of you know, letting go of Naruto was not a preferable choice for me."

To this, many of the clan heads nodded in agreement.

"But as it is a decision of Konoha, I have no choice but to abide by it. Even if I know this is going to come back and bite us in the ass one day. Nevertheless, I am responsible for divulging the information about Naruto's banishment to the Konoha 11 and their respective instructors. And frankly, I can't do it alone." Tsunade said honestly.

"We understand, and we shall support you, Hokage-sama." Nara Shikaku said while the others nodded.

"Damn straight! If our kids give you any trouble, we'll put them in their place." Inuzuka Tsume said passionately while imaging giving her son a whooping.

"Tsunade-sama, please know that the Hyuuga clan shall stand alongside you in your time of need." Hyuuga Hiashi stated.

"Us as well." Many other clan heads stated.

Tsunade nodded in acknowledgement.

"Alright, let's get this over with. Bring them in." Tsunade ordered the ANBU standing behind the doorway as they let in said group.

"Dad? What're you doing here?" Chouji and Ino said as they walked in.

"Whoa, all the clan heads are here... This is gonna be big." Kiba said as he looked to his feral mother.

"Troublesome" Shikamaru said as he looked over to Shikaku.

Moments later, the Jonin instructors walked in: Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai and with them... was Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun! Oh thank god! You're home" Sakura said ecstatically due to seeing him for the first time. It had been a week and a half since Naruto brought him back but he was kept in a cell for interrogation.

Sakura couldn't resist the urge to cry as she ran up to him and attempted to hug him, but was stopped by Kakashi.

"Eh? Kakashi-sensei?" She asked

"Sakura, I'm afraid you'll have to wait on your reunion with Sasuke. After the stunt he pulled, it'll take a while to quite a few of us to trust him again." Kakashi said with a serious tone.

Meanwhile, as Sakura was prepared to have a fit while saying that Sasuke wasn't thinking straight because of his curse mark, Sasuke kept his face looking down to the floor as his bangs hid his eyes.

As the Genin eyed their parents as well as the boy that attempted to defect, the Jonin instructors could already tell that the situation wasn't good. But before they could get into that, someone was missing from their group. Kakashi was the first to notice.

"Pardon me Godaime, but is Naruto still recuperating?" he asked.

At this, everyone went silent.

Where was the knuckle-head that brought happiness into every room he walked into? Didn't Shikamaru say that he woke up?

Sasuke was the first to speak up.

"I don't know what's going on, but where is Naruto? He should have recovered by now." Sasuke said with a emotionless voice.

He wouldn't show his weakness and humiliation to any of these people. However, he would show concern for the boy that had managed to save him from the dangerous path he was about to go down.

"I don't think the guy who tried to kill him has any right to ask about his condition." Kiba shouted out with malice in his voice.

At this, everybody tensed.

"I'm not stupid, Sasuke. Akamaru and I can smell Naruto's blood all over you. It's been a week and a half since we brought you back, but the smell is still there." Kiba called out.

Inuzuka Tsume could only cringe at the words of her son. She had noticed the smell as well but tried to maintain her composure during this meeting. Meanwhile, the Genin and Jonin were shocked with the exception of Kakashi.

"Sasuke...kun... That's impossible, right? You couldn't ha-" Sakura began.

"Enough Sakura, stop trying to hide from reality." Sasuke said as he brought his head up to look everyone in their eyes. "Yes, I stabbed Naruto straight through his chest with Chidori to obtain the Mangekyo Sharingan like my brother. ACCEPT IT, SAKURA!"

Now, everybody was speechless. Hinata was shaking in a mix of fear and rage and wanted to tear Sasuke's eyes out. Tsunade and Shizune clenched his fists until they drew blood. Sakura was frozen as she tried to process what Sasuke just said. Ino couldn't even look in Sasuke's direction anymore. Everybody else... well...If the atmosphere was bad before, it was really bad now.

But then they heard Sasuke say something else.

"... If I could take it back, I would..." He mumbled under his breath, but everyone heard it.

"...Why the sudden change of heart?" Tsunade asked as she looked at Sasuke for any signs of deception.

"Because out of everyone in this village, Naruto is the only person who saw me as Sasuke. Not as an Uchiha genius or prodigy, but as a boy with a bad attitude and short temper." Sasuke said as a small genuine smile made its way onto his face.

Sasuke was smiling.

He was smiling. For the first time in a long time.

And it was at this moment that Tsunade knew, that if she told Sasuke about Naruto's banishment, the Uchiha was gonna flip his shit.

"I know none of you trust me, I get it... But please, tell me Naruto is ok. Please." Sasuke begged as he body began to tense up.

All eyes were on Tsunade, but before she could say anything, Shikamaru stepped in.

"I was with Naruto yesterday in the hospital. He woke up, but he had some trouble moving around. He should probably be on his feet and running around with a smile on his face by now." Shikamaru said. "It looks like Naruto really did, as he so properly said it, 'Knock some sense into you'".

At this, Sasuke's shoulders relaxed. Meanwhile, the others had been watching Sasuke's actions throughout this whole conversation and sorta... kinda... maybe... wanted to forgive him. Hell, if Naruto could, they could too.

"So where is he, anyway?" Shikamaru asked as well.

"As of last night, Naruto has been banished from Konoha." A voice said without the slightest bit of hesitation.

At this everybody froze, then turned to the direction of the voice.

Standing in the doorway was Shimura Danzo himself, in all his evil glory.

**"W-WHAT?!"** All of the Genin and Jonin shouted. Tsunade could only wonder why Danzo would show his face in her office and not fear for his life after banishing the boy she considered a grandson.

Kakashi was livid at Danzo's words. There was no way some twisted warhawk banished the son of his deceased sensei. Not a chance in hell.

"**And whose crazy bullshit idea was this, DANZO?!**" Kakashi said with strong malice in his voice and the sudden release of killer intent.

Everybody tensed at the actions of the normally calm and cool Kakashi. People looked to Gai to try and calm the situation...

Big mistake.

"This is most unyouthful, Danzo! How could you possibly agree to this, Tsunade-sama?!" Gai said as she looked to Tsunade.

Tsunade could only look away as Danzo replied.

"She didn't. I made her do it. It was my idea. It was either this or the boy be publicly humiliated and then exiled." Danzo answered while staying calm as a cucumber.

Nobody in the room could believe the nerve of this guy.

"B-But why? Why exile Naruto-kun?! He did nothing wrong by accomplishing his mission to bring back Sasuke. He should be the same as all of us." Lee said with as much seriousness as possible while hiding the "youthfulness" in his soul.

"Because Naruto is the living jail cell of the Kyuubi no Kitsune that attacked this village 13 years ago." Tsunade said.

With this, all eyes were on her. The Jonin, who already knew about this, understood that only the Hokage could reveal this secret.

"E-EEEEEH?! K-KYUUBI?!" Many Genin had their eyes popping out their heads. But there were quite a few of them who nodded in acceptance, as if they had already figured it out.

Shikamaru and Neji had put the pieces together from the Naruto's fight during the Chunnin Exams.

Sasuke knew because Naruto unknowingly confessed to him.

Kiba always noticed that Naruto smelled like a fox.

...

"So what?! So he has the Kyuubi inside of him? I thought the Yondaime killed that thing!" Sakura said while trying to understand the situation.

"The Kyuubi cannot be killed, Sakura. It's a living being of Chakra, so the Yondaime sealed away half of its power into Naruto while sealing the other half into the belly of a Shinigami using the **Shiki Fujin.** A powerful sealing technique that takes the life of the user. That was the cause of the Yondaime's death." Kakashi said as he began to remember his sensei.

"Yes. You are correct, Hatake Kakashi. That is precisely why I have banished Naruto from this village. To protect us from the threat of the Kyuubi's power that may endanger all of us." Danzo said as if he were a hero.

"Naruto's ability to use the Kyuubi chakra doesn't endanger us. He can properly control it." One of the Genin said.

All eyes were on Neji.

"In our fight, he called upon its power and defeated me. He wasn't coming at me with the intent to kill. He just wanted to win our fight. You have made a grave error, Danzo-sama." Neji said. "To think that he meant the Kyuubi when he said that he also beared a heavy burden... Once again, I underestimated him."

Hiashi noticed the normally stoic Neji coming to the aid of Naruto. He couldn't help but smile.

_'Uzumaki Naruto, only you could've opened Neji's heart like this.'_ Hiashi thought.

Meanwhile, all eyes were on Hinata and Sasuke.

Hinata had activated her Byakugan instinctively and was molding chakra into her fingertips and feet. She wanted Danzo dead and she was going to leave the job of holding back her anger to someone else. She immediately charged Danzo while everyone was in Tsunade's office.

Immediately, Hiashi and Kurenai held her back.

"Hinata, please. You have to control yourself. Attacking a Konoha adviser warrants the death penalty." Kurenai said as all the others were shocked at the normally shy Hinata's aggressive actions. Neji's jaw dropped at the sense of HINATA'S BLOODLUST.

_'She was THIS powerful! Where was this power during the Chunnin exams?!'_ Neji thought to himself.

"Child, stop being so selfish. Calm yourself." Hiashi said to Hinata.

But on the inside, he had known this would happen.

_'Hinata was always infatuated with that boy. He was her motivation to improve her skills. Without him, she feels lost and uncertain of herself. Now, more than ever...'_ he thought.

Let it be clear, Hiashi does not acknowledge Hinata's abilities with the Byakugan. She is simply not as talented as Hanabi or Neji. She is also very tender-hearted which is not a great quality for a ninja.

But...

He still loves her as a daughter.

And he believes that Hinata will grow to be strong if she works hard to make up for her lack of talent. As for why he treats her so coldly, he simply doesn't know how to express love like his deceased wife did. It's hard for a man to figure out how to treat his daughter... in comparison to treating a son.

The only reason he gets along better with Hanabi is because she is a tomboy, and that makes his job as a father much easier.

_'Hinata... did that boy really mean so much to you? For you to attack someone like this? A Konoha official? ... Uzumaki Naruto, you had my daughter's heart in the palm of your hands... and I've never noticed it... until now... Hinata... I'm sorry... I have failed you as a father...'_ Hiashi thought to himself as he knocked Hinata unconscious with a strike to the neck and caught her collapsing body.

Hinata may have been taken care of, but everybody could still feeling the shockingly high chakra levels of a certain Uchiha.

Sasuke's eyes had been closed this entire time as he continued to think about how much a idiot he had been. The constant waves of guilt and despair eating away at him. It was causing his blood to boil. He knew that if he opened his eyes to look at Danzo, he would strike him dead. But doing that meant there was no hope for reconciliation with Konoha.

_'Whatever happens, happens, I suppose.'_ He thought.

But as he slowly opened his eyes, he saw everyone's looks of worry.

Gai was the first one to comment.

"This pressure, it's just like Itachi!" he shouted out.

At this statement, everyone's eyes widened. The clan heads and other Jonin were in battle-ready stances. The ANBU hanging up on the ceiling of the office came down with their swords unsheathed.

No one knew Sasuke's next move.

Tsunade, Shizune, and the other Genin could only watch as the events unfold.

Kakashi had his Sharingan ready in case Sasuke tried to pull anything.

_'So it's really happening... he's obtained it.'_ Kakashi thought.

But Sasuke's eyes were focused on Danzo.

"Fine Mangekyou, you have there. Brat. But you would do well to turn it off immediately." Danzo said calmly.

But on the inside, he wanted to shit himself.

_'How?! HOW?! He's only 13?! If he has the Mangekyou, then getting him to submit to me will only be that much harder.'_ Danzo thought as he felt a sweat run down his face as Sasuke's eyes penetrated deep into his soul.

"I don't know much about you, but you should know something..." Sasuke said darkly.

"And what would that be?" Danzo said._ 'This boy can't threaten me. I own this village.'_

**"I can't attack you, but HE can... Naruto... He'll survive out there. I know he will. And if you underestimate him, he WILL rip you to pieces."** Sasuke said with as his new Mangekyou Sharingan blazed.

That was all Tsunade needed to hear. Sasuke was now on her good side. The other Genin, Jonin, and even the clan heads were surprised to see Sasuke talking back to Danzo and standing up for Naruto. They had to smirk confidently at his words. He had restored their faith in him.

Yes, this was definitely not the end of Naruto.

He was going to make a comeback.

And it was going to change everything...

_'Just what the hell happened at that valley?'_ Kakashi wondered to himself.

**XXX**

Three years have passed since that day.

Overall, Konoha was doing... okay...

When Jaraiya had returned and heard about Naruto's banishment, he had attempted to burn alive the entire civilian council using his **Katon: Gamayuu Endan No Jutsu (Fire Release: Toad Oil Flame Bullet)**.

Luckily, ANBU forces managed to restrain him. He had been close, though. God damn it.

Afterwards. he had tried to use **Chōōdama Rasengan **to decimate ANBU Headquarters in hopes of taking out any Root agents.

Luckily, ANBU forces managed to restrain him. But this time, he was really close. I mean, REALLY.

Finally, Jaraiya tracked down Danzo to his Root Headquarters and did something drastic...

He forced the entire ROOT agency to listen to his frog's torturous singing for 6 straight months while remaining hidden so that no one could track or stop them.

Even the ANBU couldn't find them.

And Danzo, as well as his Root agents, paid the heavy price of no sleep, constant annoyance, and numerous slip-ups while out on secret missions due to their resting conditions in Konoha.

Afterwards, Jaraiya had set off to find Naruto after removing the Orochimaru's cursed seals from Sasuke and Anko.

But even after searching for a year, Jaraiya found nothing. Uzumaki Naruto had disappeared off the face of the Earth.

Using the Toad contract to track him was also futile. As the toads are a summon that are loyal to Konoha, any ninja who loses their status as a Konoha nin is immediately terminated from the contract.

And so, after everything, on one faithful day...

Jaraiya came to Tsunade's office and cried his heart out to her.

The brat was an annoyance to his research, and his skills with chakra and jutsu weren't the best... but Naruto reminded Jaraiya so much of himself and his student, Namikaze Minato, through his silly antics and determination.

Jaraiya missed him.

Jaraiya missed the hell out of him.

As for the Konoha 11, the majority of them were Chunin. The only exceptions were Neji and Sasuke.

Both had reached the rank of Jonin in the time of three years.

Sasuke had worked hard to obtain everyone's trust again after getting the cursed mark removed.

He could now proudly call himself an honorable shinobi of the Leaf.

But everyday, he always remembered the boy who taught him to see much more than just his revenge.

Now, Sasuke had a new goal. He still wanted revenge on Itachi, that much was obvious. But he wanted to do it by gaining power within Konoha. By doing it as part of **Konoha's** Uchiha clan.

He would never walk down the same path as his brother. Never.

Kakashi had allowed Sasuke to learn from him once again after re-establishing his trust. He was glad that Sasuke was serious about turning himself around, and he would help him any way he could.

Sakura had gone under Tsunade's tutelage to learn medical ninjutsu and improve her capabilities as a ninja. She's worked hard these part three years to make up for Naruto's absence as a part of Team 7. Just like everyone, she dearly misses the knuckle-head ninja and hopes to meet him again.

_'Naruto... I know you're out there. I wonder what you're up to right now.'_ Sakura thought to herself as she healed one of her patients in the hospital.

As for Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino, they had taken the time to greatly improve on their clan techniques.

Ino and Hinata had also taken up medical ninjutsu lessons from Shizune.

Rock Lee had improved his Taijutsu and could now fight very efficiently without having to open the 8 gates unless absolutely necessary.

Tenten had worked to improve her fighting style against wind jutsu. She has learned that its was one of her greatest weaknesses thanks to Temari.

Speaking of the Temari, both her and Kankuro had reached the rank of Jonin.

As for Gaara, he became Kazekage.

When Gaara was informed of Naruto's banishment from Konoha, he sent out search parties to find him and encourage him to come live in Sunagakure. He refused to leave his friend cast out in the middle of nowhere like Konoha did. He also said that the only reason Konoha isn't trapped in a never-ending sandstorm is because Gaara knows how much Naruto loved the village.

Yep.

These three years without Naruto had been rough on a lot of people.

But there was also quite a bit of happiness in those three years.

Sasuke had answered Sakura's confession and they had begun a relationship together.

There weren't any hard feelings between Sakura and Ino, because Ino let go of Sasuke after seeing his ferocity and violent nature during the second stage of the Chunnin exams against Zaku.

It had given the poor girl nightmares for a week. No offence to Sasuke, of course.

Hinata, who was always infatuated with Naruto, worked hard to increase her strength for when she would meet him again one day. But all the while, Kiba was constantly trying to get her attention. In the end, he came right out and told her about his feelings. It was awkward at first, but Hinata gave him a chance and they really hit it off.

She finally realized that what she had for Naruto was not love. Because she didn't know much about him besides him being bullied, his dream, and love of ramen. What she had was admiration for his confidence and determination. But if that were the case, then why would she pass out all the time?

Well, Naruto certainly wasn't bad on the eyes and he always got up in people's faces so... it was kinda natural to faint when he got close to you, right?

On the side note, Shikamaru and Temari were also dating as well. Kurenai and Asuma were... ahem... having relations... of the sort. Iruka, who had been devasted by Naruto's banishment, had found new happiness with Anko. But he would always remember Naruto.

Anyway...

Danzo was not happy during the course of these three years.

He never expected so many shinobi of Konoha to actually like Naruto. As a result, he was constantly being shutdown in any possible suggestions he brought forth to the council. The civilians weren't much help since the shinobi of the village had threatened to stop buying their merchandise and buy it from other nations.

Not only that, but Danzo's plan for capturing Naruto after exiling him failed.

_'WHERE IN THE HELL IS THE KYUUBI?! THAT BRAT COULDN'T HAVE ESCAPED THROUGH THE BORDERS OF THE FIRE COUNTRY IN ONE DAY?! BUT NOT EVEN MY MOST SKILLED SENSOR-TYPE NINJA CAN FIND HIM!'_ Danzo thought to himself.

And so, without the Kyuubi in his possession, Danzo focused all of his resources on getting Sasuke and his new Mangekyou Sharingan...

Which didn't work since Kakashi was always with him to prevent Sasuke from ever having to use it and go blind.

In summary... Danzo's plan was complete pointless.

Naruto's exile had been fruitless. He never got a hold of the Kyuubi.

The Uchiha was so far from Danzo's grasp that Danzo couldn't even find him in the village sometimes.

And ultimately, Danzo was no closer to the position of Hokage since the shinobi forces absolutely despised him.

Yep. These were quite the interesting three years.

**XXX**

Three years since Uzumaki Naruto's banishment from Konoha, an independent group of prominent missing nins had risen up.

At first, Jaraiya had assumed it to be the Akatsuki, who were actively searching for the tailed beasts.

Luckily, that wasn't the case.

This unknown organization had invaded the Land of Water and politically taken over Kirigakure, which has been swallowed by civil war for generations.

By politically taken over... This meant without the death of a single person.

When Tsunade had caught wind of this from Jariaya, she threw a fit.

"What?! Some group of missing nins completely overthrew the shinobi system of Kirigakure! That's insane! Who are they?" Tsunade shouted to her former teammate.

"I honestly have no clue, Hime. But they did it without shedding a single drop of blood. It seems their leader forced all sides of the civil war to submit to him... through fear." Jaraiya said.

"Is there still a Mizukage in the nation?" Tsunade asked urgently.

"Yes, but the Mizukage is probably just a figurehead. A majority of the missing nins that have taken over are watching over the village as she runs it. That means that somebody is manipulating the strings from the shadows." He answered.

"What could their goal be? And can you give me some identities of these missing nins?" she asked.

"I don't know their goal, but since they've taken over, the civil wars in Kirigakure have stopped. Also, The political and shinobi training system has been changed. Not to mention, new alliances with smaller nations are being formed as well as new trading routes. I haven't heard of any assaults, money launders, drug trade, weapon sales, or anything... It's almost as if..." Jaraiya explained as he put his fingers onto the bridge of his nose.

"What?" she asked while slightly worried about his answer.

"It's like whoever is doing this... is just trying to help people." Jaraiya answered with a small smile on his face.

"...Uh-huh, I see... Well, what about their identities? Can you label them in the bingo book?" Tsunade asked skeptically.

_'Always the fool, Jaraiya. Why would a missing nin help people?'_ she thought mockingly.

"Yes, I can." Jariaya answered as he labelled out a good 20 of them.

"MY GOD, THESE ARE..."

"Yes, whoever is leading this group is incredibly powerful. They've got Kirigakure's Demon Brothers, Hoki the Watari Ninja, Kajika the shark, Amegakure's Kandachi, Orochimaru's former henchmen: Misumi Tsurugi and Yoroi Akado, Hisame The Rain Mistress, Utakata the Jinkuriki of the Rokubi, and many others. But that's not all..." Jaraiya said ominously.

"I knew these guys were trouble. What else?" she asked.

"Their leader... They say... He's a nice guy... but... He is **carnage** itself." Jaraiya said.

At this, Tsunade widened her eyes.

"...What does that mean?" She asked.

And then, there was silence.


End file.
